The present invention relates generally to wearable optics for outdoor sporting and recreational activities. More particularly, this invention relates to contact lenses for outdoor sporting and recreational activities that vary the amount of light passing through the contact lenses to the retina of the eye, depending on the light intensity and wavelength, so that improved visual perception is possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,154, issued to Hoffman on Apr. 1, 1997, describes a light-filtering contact lens for outdoor wear. The Hoffman contact lens variably transmits light having wavelengths ranging from 500 to 700 nm and prevents the transmission of ultraviolet and blue light, that is, light having wavelengths ranging from approximately 200 nm to approximately 500 nm. Although the '154 patent teaches that blue light is linked to undesirable effects on the human eye, other studies indicate that blue light is necessary for enhanced perception of many objects in sporting and recreational activities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,245, issued to the inventors of the present invention on Jan. 7, 1997, teaches the use of light-filtering eyeglasses to enhance perception of objects in outdoor sporting or recreational activities. The light-filtering eyeglasses enhance perception by allowing the transmission of light having wavelengths that are substantially corresponding to and adjacent to the wavelengths of light reflected by the object used in the outdoor sporting event, and substantially attenuating other reflected light. The '245 patent suggests the use of conventional contact lenses rather than eyeglasses, but does not disclose contact lenses capable of cooperating with the pupil of the eye to automatically accommodate both high-intensity lighting environments and low-intensity environments.
What is needed, then, is a contact lens having at least one optical filter region that: (1) transmits blue light as well as other wavelengths in order to enhance perception of objects used in outdoor sporting, recreational and other activities; (2) transmits light corresponding to the wavelength of light reflected by an object used in an outdoor sporting or recreational activity and attenuates other reflected light; and (3) automatically varies light perception as lighting conditions change from high-intensity lighting environments to low-intensity lighting environments.